Interview with Joseph Lewis
THE DAILY MOTH (ALEX):
Hello Joseph “Joey” Lewis! I’m excited to announce that you will be a correspondent for “The Daily Moth” on topics related to the 2020 election. You will cover important topics, issues, and discussions. I’m looking forward to this new segment with “The Daily Moth.” Can you introduce who you are?
JOSEPH “JOEY” LEWIS:
Hello! My name is Joseph Lewis, or Joey for short. I currently live in Delaware. That sums up who I am.
THE DAILY MOTH (ALEX):
You will cover the 2020 election. You graduated from Gallaudet with a government degree and I read that you did internships for former President Obama and for former Senator Tom Harkin, who is the ADA champion. Can you describe your experiences?
JOSEPH “JOEY” LEWIS:
Yes. Really, my goal with covering political news is to be non-partisan. I am emphasizing that, to cover Republican, Democrat, or Independent viewpoints. My goal is to educate deaf voters on who the candidates are. I’m really grateful to Gallaudet University for the internship opportunities with Senator Tom Harkin and with the White House. They were incredible experiences and I’ll explain a bit. My internship with Tom Harkin was a rich experience because he had a deaf brother who went to the Iowa School for the Deaf, where I graduated from, so he could use ASL. It was really cool. I never thought I would be able to have a conversation in ASL with a U.S. Senator in a hallway. We were chatting and it was a surreal experience that I will never forget about Sen. Tom Harkin. With the White House internship, I was placed with the President’s Correspondence Office. We read tens of thousands of emails and our job was to pick the top ten letters that President Obama was to read daily so he could know what was happening and important issues impacting American people. So those two experiences really made an impact on my political journey.
THE DAILY MOTH (ALEX):
I read an interview you did with another news outlet where you said you grew up with a total of 14 siblings in Iowa. You also went to the Iowa School for the Deaf. That’s a large family. Can you describe your life?
JOSEPH “JOEY” LEWIS:
Yes, I was adopted myself. I was born in South Korea and when I was four I was with an orphanage and at five, my mother and my family in Iowa adopted me. It was amazing and I didn’t expect to be adopted by a family of seventeen on a farm. My family are my role models. My family signs. I have three deaf brothers. I went to ISD at the 7th grade. I went to a mainstream school 1st grade up to 6th grade. When I was in middle school, my brother at the time was at Iowa School for the Deaf. I was doing fine in mainstream school but at the time I was confused about my Deaf identity. I saw the confidence that my brother had and I wanted the same. I had to convince my parents to let me go to the deaf school. It was a hard decision for them because it was five hours away. My parents were supportive and wanted the best for me. I went to ISD and the rest is history.
THE DAILY MOTH (ALEX):
America is now in a very divided and a very sensitive time. In 2020, it feels even more divided. We’re approaching the election. Do you have any tips on how we can continue to have political discussion and respect others from various points of the spectrum?
JOSEPH “JOEY” LEWIS:
Yes, research shows that politics is becoming more polarized. That makes people feel frustrated with the political system. I understand that and I think it’s important for people to really open themselves up and listen. If Democrats want to have a good argument, or for Republicans, to have good arguments, you must understand both sides. You have to. For example, if Democrats are bringing forth a great idea, that’s okay, but to win people’s vote, you have to approach both sides, to include Republicans. I encourage people to be more mindful of both sides and understand why the opposing side thinks a certain way. That’s how you can convince, well you don’t have to convince, but to share an understanding of both views. I think it’s important to be open-minded, respectful, and to listen. You don’t have to change others or pressure others, but aim for a healthy discussion. Not many deaf people have that experience with political discussions. So I encourage us to get educated and learn. Politics can be really ugly but it’s important that Deaf Americans do our duty as a citizen and vote. It’s so important. To vote means you should know who the candidates are at the local, state, and federal levels. It’s important to be aware. Because your vote is so critical. Just one vote makes a huge difference. I don’t think many people realize that. Just one vote makes a huge difference. That’s a tip that I want you to keep in your mind.
[Sponsored video from SignVote: https://signvote.org/]
THE DAILY MOTH (ALEX):
I’m seeing many slogans to “Vote.” What can we do to make sure we’re ready to vote? We have two months left. Some have already voted early, or sent in mail-in ballots. Any tips on what we can do now?
JOSEPH “JOEY” LEWIS:
Yes, I think first of all, make sure you are registered to vote. Once you know you can vote, then do research deepening on where you live and look at rule changes because of the coronavirus. It’s important to check with your state. Not all states are the same. Look on whether your state provides mail-in ballots or if you have to submit a request. It’s also important to get your family and friends to register to vote. Ask them what their plan is to vote. I have one friend who has never voted. I convinced them to register to vote for the first time. Those little things, get your family and friends to register and show them how to… registering to vote and voting is really simple. So use this power to change the system for a better future. The election is the fate of America’s future. It depends on 40 million deaf people like you. So it’s really important to vote.
THE DAILY MOTH (ALEX):
That’s the point, make sure you’re registered. So I hope everyone feels like they’ve met you and got to know you a bit. We’ll be seeing more of you in the next two months! I’m looking forward to it and thank you for joining the team!
JOSEPH “JOEY” LEWIS:
Likewise. I look forward to it too.